areas in winter conditions. All students were junior to mid-rank border officers serving at the Tajik-Afghan border. From 3-7 February 2014, the Office held a training course on crisis management for 24 officers from law enforcement agencies. The event forms a part of a series of training courses aimed at capacity building for border-related agencies. The participants included a representative of the MFA’s Consular Department and officers from the SCNS, the Border Troops, the Customs Service, the Committee of Emergency Situation and Civil Defence and from the MIA. Participants learned about current and past crises and disaster and risk management concepts. The training also introduced the four phases of emergency management. The training was conducted by UK crisis management experts. From 10-21 February, the Office conducted a two-week winter patrol course for 15 Afghan Border Police Officers. This course is a component of the Patrol Programming and Leadership project and is advanced training for border officers who have already attended basic patrol leadership courses in 2013. During the two-week course, the Afghan officers learned about border surveillance and patrolling in mountainous areas and how to rapidly assess avalanche conditions. Between 3 March and 4 April, the Office began conducting a five-week Patrol Leadership Course for twenty border guard officers, who mainly operate on the Tajik-Afghan border and are ranked between warrant officer and major. The course focused on border surveillance missions, including the use of topographical maps and satellite images. Participants learned about first aid in the field, and they acquired patrol planning and management techniques, improved their reporting and analysis skills, and worked on border patrolling in mountainous areas. The officers also learned about human rights awareness and gender issues. This was the 11th course held under the Patrol Programming and Leadership Project, which aims to enhance the capacities of Tajik and Afghan border staff. From 7-18 April, 11 officers from the Border Troops, ten officers from the Customs Service and one representative of the consular department from the MFA participated in a leadership course. A US expert on law enforcement shared his ideas about leadership concepts and proactive strategies; the training course also dealt with human capital and gender awareness, strategic management and planning. The event is a part of a series of training courses aimed at building capacity in the border-related agencies. From 12-16 May, the Office and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) conducted a training course for 26 officers from Afghan and Tajik law enforcement agencies. The course was delivered by experts on refugees, migration and border management issues from UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the OSCE. The participants included three representatives of Afghan Foreign Ministry, seven officers of the Afghan Border Police, one representative of the Tajik MFA, ten officers from the Tajik Main Directorate Border Troops, two officers from the Tajik Customs Service, two officers from the MIA and one representative from the Tajik Ministry of Labour, Migration and Employment. The training highlighted asylum procedures, principles of international protection, determining refugee status and procedural standards, countering trans-border crimes and border management in emergencies. The event is a part of a series of training courses aimed at developing the capacity of Tajik and Afghan border-related agencies, as well as improving cross-border co-operation in these countries. On 16 May, 20 officers from the Afghan Border Police completed a five-week training course on patrolling and leadership. Most of the officers ranked between warrant officer and major, coming from border detachments at the Afghan-Tajik border. During the course, they learned how to plan and conduct observation missions with the use of topographical maps, satellite imagery and other tools and developed patrol planning and management techniques. They also improved their skills in reporting and analysis, mountaineering and first aid in the field. 152